Ruthenium is generally credited as being discovered by the Russian chemist Karl Ernst (Karl Karlovich) Claus in 1844.

Who discovered ruthenium?

  • Most scientific histories recognize Karl Ernst Claus as the discoverer of ruthenium, after he isolated it from platinum ores in Russia and clearly proved it was a new element in 1844.
  • Earlier chemists, such as Gottfried Osann in the 1820s, had hinted at its existence and even used the name “ruthenium,” but their results were incomplete and not fully confirmed.

TL;DR: When people ask “who discovered ruthenium” , the accepted answer is Karl Ernst (Karl Karlovich) Claus, 1844.